Unforgettable

brat, Brian Delaney.
“A hunch?” she repeated. “Well then, that’s the bottom line in our world, isn’t it?
Hunches, feelings, superstitions, jinxes, aligned planets, auras, and lots of woo-
woo.” She smiled to include herself in the observation. “I’ve lived with those
‘hunches’ all my life, too. And that fool does have oodles of talent.”
“So, you’re in?” asked Dave.
“Let’s hope his womanizing doesn’t apply to me—or I’m out.”
“Agreed.”
“By the way,” said Scott, “speaking of bottom lines. Did we mention the bonus
that goes along with this special assignment?”
She sat taller. “I’m all ears, my friends.” A single mom never turned down a
chance to earn overtime.
“Ten thou for the try, and another fifteen for the get. If you turn him around,
Megan Ross, that’s twenty-five thousand beyond salary and holiday bonus.” The
general manager was speaking for the owner. It seemed everyone was as serious
as death about this ‘assignment.’
She slowly exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Their generosity was nothing
to sneeze at. Her ex was totally out of the picture. A real charmer with no sense
of responsibility. Not unlike Delaney, she supposed.
“We would have mentioned it earlier,” said Dave. “But we all played the same
hunch on you, and we all won.” His grin stretched across his face.
She chuckled and shook her head. “Might have known.” More than ever, she felt

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at one with the organization. She’d earned their respect before doing a day’s
work with Delaney. Now she’d have to retain it.
##
Brian Delaney glanced at his watch as he ran up the five flights to Dave Evans’s
office. Three o’clock. And the game started at 7:05 that night. He took a moment
to catch his breath at the top of the stairs, content with the timeframe. He’d be
able to make a prearranged visit at the hospital and be back for pre-game warm
up. After last night’s trouble with Travis Watson’s arm, Brian wanted to be in
good form that night—for the team’s sake—in case they needed him. Actually,
Brian felt awful about Travis, too. No pitcher wanted to be laid up with
tendinitis. He’d come through for a friend.
He jogged to Dave’s office, called out a “yo” to Carla and stopped at the
doorway to stare at the best pair of legs in Houston. So glad she often wore
sundresses! Megan Ross not only had legs, she had a body, face and a
personality to boot. The total package. He enjoyed rattling her.
“Hey, y’all,” he said, after knocking on the door. “Is it a party?” He turned to
Megan. “Good to see you…I think. Or am I in trouble again?” He paused. “Was
there a photo shoot or something I missed?”
“Nope,” she said, shaking her head, blonde hair swirling on her shoulders. “But
we will be working together. Why don’t you have a seat?” She turned to Dave.
“You’re up. Time to explain the plan.”
Brian didn’t like the look that passed between them, didn’t like the sound of the
word “plan.” And he didn’t like the four-to-one odds. He continued to stand near
the doorframe and leaned against the wall. His hand went into a pocket of his
baggy cargo shorts and cupped one of the baseballs he always had with him. A
habit he’d acquired since moving to Houston.
As he listened to the “plan,” he began to relax. It had to be a joke. He waited
until Dave ran out of steam.
“And to think, my ears weren’t even burning as you spent all this time talking
about me,” he began. “Probably because you were just having fun. So, let’s put it
to rest. First of all, as lovely as Megan is, I don’t need a baby-sitter. And
second,” he said, stepping further into the room, “baseball is  about having fun!

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For the fans and the players.”
If Dave Evans’s eyes opened any wider, they’d pop out. “Do I look like I’m
having fun?” the man growled.
“Well, maybe I can help you out there. Help you relax more.” Brian took the ball
out of his pocket, then reached for another and a third from the opposite pocket.
He tossed one ball into the air, then added the second, then the last. For thirty
seconds the room was silent as all eyes watched him juggle the three balls.
“God, his eye-hand coordination is fantastic,” whispered Rick.
Brian smiled inside, kept juggling, and spoke. “I do take the game seriously.
Check the stats. Don’t I have the best record in the league for fewest stolen bases
allowed?” Of course, he did. Catching runners was a hoot.
He heard mumbled agreement and juggled himself toward the door. “Sorry to
break this up early, but I’ve got a date…with a very special lady.” His heart
squeezed for a moment as one by one, he caught each ball.
Turning at the doorway, he added, “I can’t disappoint her.” He jogged back to
the stairwell.
##
Silence reigned for half-a-minute after Brian disappeared. Dave spoke first.
“What just happened here? Does anyone know what just happened in here?”
“That was Brian being Brian,” said Megan. “Doing what he always does—
having fun.”
“At whose expense?” asked Dave.
“And who’s the special lady?” asked Megan. “Maybe she’s the key to unlocking
him.”
“No girlfriends that I know of,” said Rick. “And I’d probably know if there was
someone.”
“Ditto that,” said Dave. “His whole family’s back east though. His brother’s with

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the Red Sox. Maybe we should’ve drafted him instead.”
“We needed a pitcher, not a fielder,” said Rick.
Interesting. She hadn’t thought about his brother or his family, for that matter.
She knew little about them, had never been curious. She knew the married
players’ wives and many of their children. They went to the games and most of
the women played in the annual wives’ softball game each year, which she
coached. But as for the single guys…she didn’t know much. They seemed more
self-contained. Or maybe they just preferred keeping their private lives…private.
“I’ll leave you three to figure out the details,” said Scott, “and I’ll brief Harold
on our game plan.” He turned to Megan. “Do your best, but don’t make
sacrifices you wouldn’t ordinarily make.”
“Huh?”
“You’re part of the team, too, Megan. Play it safe.” He waved and left the room.
“I’ll second that. Delaney’s a playboy, so keep your guard up,” said Dave.
“You’re concerned for nothing,” said Megan. “I don’t make the same mistakes
twice.”
“You’ve got a great kid, though,” said Dave. “So that wasn’t a mistake.”
“My son,” Megan began, and to her surprise, started choking up, “is the best
child in the world.” A new thought struck her about this assignment. “I need to
keep Delaney away from Josh.” She walked back and forth. “I’ll have to figure
out...”
Dave’s hand went up again. “Slow down a minute. This whole project might not
last very long at all. Think about Sandy Koufax. It took him six years — six
years, Megan—before the whole game clicked for him and his brilliance on the
mound showed up as no-hitters and perfect games. Brian Delaney is just about at
that same point.” He looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe…?’
She tilted her head back. “From your mouth to God’s ears, as my mom always
says. With Delaney, we really will need divine help to perform an attitude
adjustment or…should I say, a baseball miracle?”

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“Ha! You’re right. I hope you have a direct line to the bigger boss upstairs.”
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